Player ratings vs Gala

Szczesny – 4
Only had one job all night, and made a hash of it. Was nowhere near the ball when he made the brainless decision to hurl himself at the player’s feet.

Chambers – 6.5
The first game in which he’s been a little bit apprehensive – his closing down was timid, and his awareness of his surroundings sometimes deserted him. Probably his first lukewarm performance in his (so far) impressive Arsenal career.

Mertesacker - 6
Seemed very pedestrian tonight – he was slow to close down, his movement was poor and his concentration seemed to come and go.

Koscielny – 7
Quietly efficient for much of the night, and was probably the most proactive in dealing with Gala’s late rally.

Gibbs – 7
Supported the flank well, but his defensive positioning was a little off. Certainly very positive though.

Flamini – 5
Booked for a poor challenge in the first half, followed it up by running about like a headless chicken.

Ozil – 7.5
In spite of Tony Gayle’s insistence that he is Arsenal’s persona non grata, he acquitted himself very well tonight. His movement was good, his recycling of possession was efficient, and he kept busy. Didn’t allow the game to pass him by.

Cazorla – 7
Was seemingly anonymous for about an hour, but sprung to life after Arsenal went down to ten – very strange performance from him tonight.

Alexis – 8
Didn’t shy away from the physical attention he was receiving on Arsenal’s left flank, and he brought some lovely variation to Arsenal’s play – capped the performance with a well-taken goal.

Chamberlain – 8
One of the best performances I’ve seen from him in an Arsenal shirt – he was always proactive, he was brave when taking players on; and when Arsenal went down to ten, his ability to carry the ball provided some much-needed respite. His attitude was outstanding.

Welbeck – 9.5
Superbly-taken goals (two of which were Henry-esque, dare I say) and his direct approach with the ball drove Gala back into their own penalty area. Let’s hope there’s more to come.

Subs:

Ospina – 8
Pulled off some crucial saves, and his decision-making and authority shone through. For me, he simply must replace Szczesny (whose performances have been on the edge anyway) at Stamford Bridge.

Rosicky – 7
Had one or two sloppy moments, but fought for the cause as Gala found some of the ball.

Wilshere – 6
Didn’t really stand out, but supported Gibbs on the left.